Alaska Child Care Grants, Programs and Services
Whether you are looking to start a child care program in Alaska or are a seasoned owner, there are many resources available to help fund your programs. Each state has a primary agency or organization responsible for subsidizing child care programs. They partner with local child care resource and referral (CCR&R) agencies and shared services organizations to raise awareness of grant opportunities and support the distribution of funding. They also provide additional programs and services to help you run your business.
Alaska Child Care Grants, Programs and Services
Primary State Agency (Child Care Development Fund)
This primary agency oversees early care and education programs and services in Alaska, and is responsible for subsidizing child care programs through federal and state grants. Visit the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R Agency)
Child Care Resource & Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) are another great resource for assisting child care providers with available grants and funding and other resources. Find your local CCR&R.
Shared Services Organizations and NAEYC Regional Affiliates
The community of ECE leaders working to provide services to support sustainable child care programs is growing all the time. Reach out to your local organizations to learn more about their services. Visit Anchorage Association for the Education of Young Children to learn more.
Champions for Mixed Delivery Monthly Call
The Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC) and National Child Care Association (NCCA) and are partnering to offer Champions of Mixed Delivery, a series of monthly check-in calls to share and receive updates about key proposals, coordinate messaging and talking points and share resources for advocacy. View dates and register for a call here.
Alaska Child Care Licensing Requirements
Learn more about Alaska early learning standards: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Learn more about child care licensing requirements in Alaska: Alaska State Requirements
Alaska Early Childhood Education Quality Ratings, Curriculum and Assessments
Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS)
Child care providers earn a rating when they meet quality standards. Many states require these quality standards in order to receive grants and additional funding. View more details at Learn and Grow.
State-Aligned Curriculum
Procare Solutions is partnering with Learning Beyond Paper to provide curriculum to our customers. No state approval is required, but you can be confident knowing your curriculum aligns to your state standards by implementing Procare Early Learning Powered by Learning Beyond Paper. This 100% digital curriculum addresses the needs of child care centers, daycares, preschools and early learning teachers. The curriculum provides 52 weeks of lesson plans that include learning tailored to seasons.
Assessments
Simplify the assessment process and meet state standards with a unique early childhood assessment framework that makes clarity a key strength of your child care center’s assessments and communications.
Average Cost of Child Care in Alaska
Understanding the cost of child care in Alaska is important for both parents and child care providers.
Annual Child Care Costs in Alaska
In Alaska, infant care for a single child comes in at an average annual price of $11,760.
Child Care Affordability in Alaska
A typical family in Alaska would spend roughly 10% of their annual income on child care.
More Information on Alaska Child Care
Alaska is one of the least populated states, with just 734,000 residents. It’s also sixth on the list of states with the highest cost of living, right behind Hawaii, California, New York, Oregon and Massachusetts. Affordable child care services can help expand the workforce in Alaska and grow the Alaskan economy.
View child care costs in other states.
Alaska Professional Development Training Requirements
In Alaska, it is required that early childhood educators who are full-time complete 24 hours and those that are part-time complete 12 hours of professional development training annually from date of hire. Training hours and continuing education units (CEUs) are documented in each person’s professional development record in the SEED Registry. Be sure to create and manage your registry profile to track and document your training hours to comply with Alaska state licensing requirements for ECE professionals. Visit the National Database of Child Care Regulations or Alaska Department of Education & Early Development to find licensing regulations and requirements in your state.
Bertelsen Education, a Procare Solutions Company provides IACET-accredited courses that meet state licensing requirements. Visit BertelsenEducation.com to purchase.Â
Professional Development Resources
Professional development programs are designed to encourage, support and recognize early childhood professionals seeking to expand their skills to raise the quality of their programs. View a list of professional development resources for child care providers here.